Comparison between Lapras's younger and older appearances
Lapras is a large sea Pokémon that resembles a plesiosaur. It has a blue hide with darker blue spots and a cream-colored underside. It has large brown eyes, a short horn on its forehead, and tightly curled ears. It has a long neck and four flippers. The foremost flippers are larger than the hind. On its back is a heavy, gray shell covered in blunt knobs.
Lapras is a gentle, helpful Pokémon that enjoys ferrying people across bodies of water. In the past, its docility made it an easy target for hunters, and it was driven to near-extinction. Recent protection efforts have seen Lapras become overabundant instead, which is now affecting the fish Pokémon numbers in some areas. An intelligent Pokémon, it is able to understand human speech. Lapras have been known to travel in large pods across the seas, spanning both polar and tropical areas. To keep in touch with other of its kind, it sings enchanting melodies. In the anime it was shown that Lapras is able to develop psychic abilities such as telepathy.
As Gigantamax Lapras, it becomes larger in size and more armored. Its shell resembles a cruise ship or ocarina with four gray and red stripes surrounding it, and it has four spikes on top of its shell with one steel spike resembling a funnel, which has three red clouds surrounding it. The sclera in Lapras' eyes change colors to white, yellow, and blue. A light blue ring of fine thin lines resembling a musical sheet created from ice particles circles around its shell.
5,000 people can ride on the shell of Gigantamax Lapras for a very comfortable ride without any issues. Lapras can use its giant ring to break any icebergs that may prevent it from swimming. According to Oleana, Gigantamax Lapras's shell is not part of its body as the shell has a logarithmic structure.
Gigantamax Lapras is the only known Pokémon capable of using the exclusive G-Max Move G-Max Resonance.
Main series
Major appearances
Lapras made its physical main series debut in The Lost Lapras, where Ash and his friends saved a young one from a trio of thugs, and then again from Team Rocket. Ash caught this Lapras and mostly used it as transportation between the islands of the Orange Archipelago. It was returned to its family in Viva Las Lapras. Ash's Lapras became the leader of the herd in their appearance in Lapras of Luxury.
Lapras (herd)
In Viva Las Lapras, Ash and his friends located Lapras's school off the coast of Tarroco Island. However, the group wanted nothing to do with Ash's Lapras and they swam away. Later, Ash's group rescued the school from Captain Crook and his crew of Pokémon poachers, and Ash's Lapras subsequently returned to the herd.
In Lapras of Luxury, Ash and his friends met Naomi, a marine biologist and Lapras expert, near New Bark Town. They also re-encountered Ash's Lapras and its herd as they continued their annual migration from the Orange Islands to the Johto region. Ash's Lapras became the leader of the herd after it defeated Team Rocket, who were attempting to snatch the group. The Lapras herd later left to continue their migration.
Their known moves are Water Gun, Mist, and Ice Beam.
A Lapras took Team Poképals across the Sea of Time in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky - Beyond Time & Darkness.
Other
Lapras made its physical TV debut in Holiday Hi-Jynx, where it helped Ash and his friends reunite a Jynx with Santa Claus. This Lapras was able to talk via telepathy.
In Snorlax Snowman, two Lapras saved Pikachu and his friends after their ice boat fell apart.
In Putting the Air Back in Aerodactyl!, three Lapras appeared whenever Crystal whistles.
In May, We Harley Drew'd Ya!, Solidad used a Lapras during the Performance Stage of the Kanto Grand Festival. It was later used in a two-on-two Contest Battle along with Butterfree.
Three Lapras appeared in Bonnie for the Defense!, including a young Lapras who was being taken care of by Heidi, Kye, and Jay. With the help of Ash and his friends, they returned this Lapras back to the sea. It reappeared in a flashback in Till We Compete Again!.
In Alola to New Adventure!, Lana used a Poké Ride Lapras. It reappeared in a flashback in Yo, Ho, Ho! Go, Popplio!, and physically reappeared in So Long, Sophocles! and That New Old Gang of Mine!.
In I Choose You!, Verity's Lapras ferried her, Ash, and Sorrel across a lake after they escaped a group of angry Primeape.
Minor appearances
Lapras debuted in Who Gets to Keep Togepi?, where it was seen in Misty's fantasy about what the Egg that the group had could hatch into.
Lapras made its physical debut in Pikachu's Vacation, where one was seen at the Pokémon Theme Park.
Multiple Lapras appeared in the opening intro of Celebi: The Voice of the Forest, which was reused for Pokémon Heroes: Latios & Latias.
In Dueling Heroes, a Trainer's Lapras competed the Whirl Cup.
A Lapras parent and child appeared in The Legend of Thunder!.
In Nice Pryce Baby, Pryce kept several Lapras at the Mahogany Gym.
In One Team, Two Team, Red Team, Blue Team!, Angie used a Lapras provided to her by the Pokémon Summer Academy for the second leg of the Pokémon Triathlon.
A Lapras appeared in the opening sequence of Zoroark: Master of Illusions.
Multiple Lapras appeared in Best Wishes Until We Meet Again!.
Multiple Lapras appeared in Kalos, Where Dreams and Adventures Begin!.
A Lapras appeared in Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel.
Three Poké Ride Lapras appeared in a fantasy in Yo, Ho, Ho! Go, Popplio!.
A Poké Ride Lapras appeared in Partner Promises!.
In I Choose You!, multiple Lapras were swimming in the ocean.
In a flashback in Mission: Total Recall!, Lusamine, Gladion, and Lillie used a Poké Ride Lapras.
A Lapras was swimming in the ocean in the Where Are You Going, Eevee? segment at the end of Lillier and the Staff!. It reappeared in a flashback in We Know Where You're Going, Eevee!.
A Trainer's Lapras appeared in League Offenders and Defenders!.
Mew transformed from a Tauros directly into a Lapras in Enter Pikachu! while being chased by Goh and Chloe.
A Trainer's Lapras appeared in A Festival Reunion!.
Multiple Lapras appeared in Memories of a Warming Kindness!.
A Lapras appeared in Grabbing the Brass Ring!.
Pokédex entries
Episode
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Pokémon
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Source
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Entry
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XY049
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Lapras
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Serena's Pokédex
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Lapras, the Transport Pokémon. Lapras enjoys carrying people on its back, and it understands what people are saying.
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Pokémon Origins
In File 3: Giovanni, a Silph Co. Scientist gave Red a Lapras as thanks for saving him from Team Rocket. Since then, Red often used it to travel on water.
Pokémon Generations
In The Challenger, Lorelei used a Lapras against Blue's Alakazam. It lost after being thrown to the floor with Psychic.
Pokémon: Twilight Wings
In Early-Evening Waves, a Lapras was living in the lake where Nessa was doing a photo shoot.
In Assistant, Melony's Gigantamax Lapras had a battle against Gordie's Gigantamax Coalossal.
GOTCHA!
Two Lapras briefly appeared in GOTCHA!, with one under the ownership of Red and the other under the ownership of Lorelei.
The Electric Tale of Pikachu
A Lapras hatching from its
Egg in Pokémon Adventures
- Main article: Ash's Lapras
In Play Misty For Me, Misty was revealed to own a Lapras.
In The Orange Islands, Ash saved a Lapras from a swarm of Krabby tormenting it. Like in the anime, Ash used this Lapras as a mode of transportation through the Orange Islands saga. It is not known if it was released in this canon or not.
Magical Pokémon Journey
A Lapras appeared in Horsea's Necklace.
Pokémon Adventures
In a flashback in Lapras Lazily, Blue caught a wild Lapras and gave it to Evan, at around the same time as Red's first fight with Giovanni.
The most notable role of Lapras in Pokémon Adventures was being one of the Pokémon of Pryce. In his youth, Pryce lost two of his favorite Lapras, La Pris and La Prus, in an avalanche just as the Egg borne by them hatched. Unable to get over his loss, Pryce swore to save his Lapras and thus began researching into time travel, setting the events of the Johto saga in motion. Eventually, Pryce was able to capture Celebi and enter time, only to lose Celebi as the GS Ball containing it was shattered, causing him to be unable to override time any further. However, the baby Lapras, La Glace, was able to enter the time in which Pryce's Lapras were separated, and the family enjoyed a happy reunion while Pryce was eventually lost in time. The child Lapras first appeared in Irked Igglybuff and Curmudgeonly Cleffa and the parents appeared in The Last Battle XIV.
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Spoilers end here.
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A Lapras appeared in The Last Battle XIII as one of the Pokémon sent to participate in the fight in Ilex Forest.
Iris was seen owning a Lapras in One Way or Another.
Sun uses a Ride Lapras to transport him through water. It first appeared in True Identity and the Totem Pokémon of Brooklet Hill.
Melony's Gigantamax Lapras appeared in PASS21, during her Gym battle against Hop.
Pokédex entries
Manga
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Chapter
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Entry
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Pokémon Adventures
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PS050
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Extremely intelligent, able to understand human speech. A Pokémon that has been over-hunted almost to extinction. It can ferry people over water.
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Pokémon Battle Frontier
Spenser owns a Lapras, as seen in The Predestined Battle!.
Pokémon Gold & Silver: The Golden Boys
A Lapras appeared in Extreme Power!! The Friday Pokémon and Get up Again, Bayleef.
Pokémon Gotta Catch 'Em All
A Charmander appeared in a flashback in GDZ33, under the ownership of a researcher.
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blazing Exploration Team
- Main article: Lapras (Explorers of Time, Darkness, and Sky)
Lapras appeared in BET5.
Pokémon + Nobunaga's Ambition ~ Ranse's Color Picture Scroll ~
A Lapras appeared in The Scarlet Scroll: Kunoichi's Situation, under the ownership of Mitsuhide.
Pokémon Pocket Monsters
A Lapras appeared in To the Pokémon League!!, under the ownership of Lorelei.
A Lapras appeared in Escape from Magma!?.
Pokémon Zensho
In PZ07, Sabrina was revealed to own a telepathic Lapras. After Satoshi helped Sabrina defeat Giovanni at Silph Co., she gave Lapras to him.